Brewed with heaps of roasted barley, crystal malts, and flaked oats, and then hopped up with Willamette and Centennials. During the fermentation, Jaggery (a sugar derived from palm tree sap in India) is added, and when finished, the brew is aged in Crown Royal whisky barrels for six months.

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Pours dark black with a thin tan head. Aroma has chocolate, whisky, and vanilla. Great balanced flavor with roasted malts, coffee, whisky, and vanilla in the finish. Good complexity, the whisky is fairly subdued and not at all overpowering. Medium-full body, mild carbonation and a little dry. Overall it's very good, wish I had some more of this. Big thanks to wordemupg for this one! (385 characters)

This beer pours a solid eight-ball black, with ever so slight mahogany edges at the base when flushed with light, and two fingers of creamy mocha head, which leaves a decent broken paint job of lace around the glass after its gratuitously lazy exit. It smells predominantly of boozy whisky wood, with the endemic generic rye and corn alcohol of this particular dram (can you even use that word with a straight face for Crown Royal?). Underneath that I get a soft grainy toasted chocolate malt, and floral, weedy hops. The taste is sweet toffee chocolate malt up front, cherry wine and port fruitiness, and a slackened barrel character, more stringent wood than oak sweetness. I'm kind of missing the purported big Yankee hop smack to the solar plexus. The carbonation is on the soft side, the body medium-full in weight, smooth, with a bit of simmering edgy warmth that seems to preclude absolute creaminess. It finishes chocolaty, woody, hoppy, and warm - all bases covered to the end.

Lots of hype for this limited release offering, and while it's mostly worth it, the overall effect is somewhat lost on me - Crown Royal first being a non-starter for me, and the underwhelming 75 IBUs equally culpable. Still, a decent multifaceted stout - even though not all things always play nice together. (1,434 characters)

A must try stout, with the unusual contribution of sugar from an Indian palm tree and the whiskey barreling. Absolutely black colour, roasted aromas. The sugar takes some edge from the bitterness of the citrus hops (Centennial, also Williamete). Very interesting and unique, a sipper than grows on me as I drink it deep into the meal. Sweetish aftertaste. Average mouthfeel.A creation up there with the gret stouts coming out of Denmark. Thanks Ted via Rudge. (459 characters)

This is an Imperial stout brewed in my hometown and also happens to have been aged in a Crown Royal barrel, which was my drink of choice for quite a few years. I actually saw this one while it was still in the barrel at the brewery. I was glad to know that there would definitely be someone in Winnipeg to pick up some for me on release day. Little did I know the stuff would sell out in an hour and a half on a Saturday morning! Beer hype in Winnipeg?? That's amazing. I was pretty disappointed thinking I might not get the chance to try this one, but kjyost was nice enough to trade away one of his last bottles. Thanks Ken!

Aside from coming in a badass looking bottle, $ellout $tout pours black and opaque with a good blanket of creamy mocha head. Nice lacing as well.

Wow, I was surprised with the nose on this one. I've never smelled a stout like this. Tangerine hit me right up front, along with lots of citrusy hops, caramel, molasses and cane sugar (from the jaggery, I suppose), alcohol and some obvious Crown Royal. I don't quite know what to make of the smell; it's certainly unique.

Alcohol is immediately noticeable, showing a solid 8% of its strength. For a stout, this stuff is really hoppy! The 75 IBU aren't hiding at all. Lots of citrusy hops (grapefruit rind, tangerine), pretty strong Crown Royal presence. I'd really like a bigger malt base for this one. A little odd as a stout with all the citrus and grainy Crown together with sweet dark malt. Tons of grapefruit rind on the finish.

This is a little thin bodied for a stout. Light-medium body and lightly carbonated. A bit of a bland feel though nothing terrible.

A bit of a strange stout. I'd prefer some more malt and don't know what to make of all the citrusy hops. I feel like this needs some more aging but at the same time would't be too sure it would age well. It's relative lightness, for an Imerial stout, does however keep this one drinkable. Regardless of the odd bits, it was great to have a chance to try this rare and unique brew. I'm looking forward to more special releases from Half Pints. (2,090 characters)

Bottle (Thanks Kyle): Poured a deep black color stout with a nice light brown color head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma of whisky is quite dominant with light sweet ester. Taste is a well balanced mix between some creamy whisky notes with light roasted malt. Body is fuller then average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Very well balanced with loads of whisky notes thought no burning alcohol and balanced out by a solid malt backbone. (467 characters)

From a 650 ml brown bottle. Label reminds of of 7" independent punk singles cover art put out in the 90's. Pours out a dense opaque pitch black with a thick creamy tan head that holds some excellent retention.

The flavour is quite complex, a lot going on in it, yet blends together so well it becomes difficult to start picking it all apart. Starts with treacle, sugary floral notes and some roasted malt, wood and sweet whiskey in the middle, concord grape and cherry rising from time to time, earthy and piney hops on the finish with more roasted malt. Overall taste is quite clean.

Medium-full mouthfeel, silky and slick texture, and while the carbonation is low the body in general holds things up.

Not a white whale or a holy grail, but certainly worth seeking out if possible, Half Pints never disappoints with their limited editions. Not just a simple barrel-aged beer, this one is an artistic progression all the way through. (1,140 characters)

Pours a dark brown with a rush of bubbles to the top as I swirl it around creating a nice creamy head which has some good retention. A little light for a proper stout but that is just quibbling. It looks good.

Nose reveals... well, I'm not sure entirely what it reveals except that this beer is one odd bird! Plenty of rye whiskey coming through along with an oddly out of place tangerine sweetness, a touch of citric hopping, a sweet cookie dough malt, a hint (I do mean hint) of roast and coffee, a slightly wet cardboard smell and light woodiness. Can't say the nose really appeals to me, it's really all over the place.

The barrel is all over this one and I have to say I think the base beer doesn't have the strength to stand up to it. Light roast, coffee grounds, dark chocolate base that is overwhelmed by the sweet rye whiskey notes which add a dash of vanilla as well from the barrel. Quite sweet, a touch of licorice coming through as well. On top of this, the base beer is overhwhelmed with a fresh hop hit which provides a citric fruitiness, a touch of floral and a light bitterness in the finish which adds a nice dryness. Must be dry hopped after the barrel?

All in all, the beer feels too thin to handle the hopping and barrel. I put two hands heartily together for Rudge going out on the limb and dong this, not enough Canadian brewers experimenting and barrel aging. Not sure if Crown is the best barrel to use but it is distinctly Canadian and I think it could work if the base beer was a heftier stout.

Glad I got to try this and after having this one and the Bourbon aged barleywine, I wouldn't hesitate to try any of Half Pints barrel aging projects. (1,779 characters)

Smell: All whiskey for me, reminders of my Crown Royal days. As it warms, traces of wood and tartness come out.

Taste: Lactic a bit, traces of whiskey and wood but the flavor is dominated by dark cherries, berries and a strong port-like character. Not my preference in a stout and i'm disappointed that the barrel aging has imparted these flavors.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth, low carbonation and a medium body.

Overall: Not a fan of the slight sourish aspects. Glad i split it with my wife and even half a bottle was a bit much. Loved the whiskey in the aroma but it's too bad it couldn't follow through in the flavor. (885 characters)

Poured black with a dark brown head, decent lace and light retention. Light rye in the nose, chocolate, coffee grains and a mapley/brown sugary character (possibly the advertised jaggery?). Taste has coffee, baker's chocolate, light oak and spirit character (but not distinctly Crown Royal) and again the sweet brown sugar/cane sugar in the finish with some roastiness. Sweet, lightly syrupy with a medium full feel. Medium low carbonation. Barrel is well integrated in this (or has become such) - certainly a solid BA'd stout. Maybe I should've consumed this a bit fresher? Maybe for a solid black and tan with some leftover pumpkin braggot as well. (722 characters)

2nd batch released of this limited edition. Thanks Liz. As a big fan of this brewery and this label(!) I have been looking forward to trying this stout. Nostalgic to see the 650ml bottle back on my table.

A: Beautiful creamy head, with tight bubbles that slowly settle down with mild-sporadic lacing. There is no seeing through this sucker.

S: WOW, I don't even know what that is! Either the whiskey or the Jaggery, but its a deep dark flavorful aroma. Almost sweet, but the roasted barley comes through for sure. Wow.

T: Hello whiskey! and delicious chocolate, and delicious hops, and delicious oats and roasted barley. There is a Ton of flavor in this beer. Gonna be slow going through this heavy beer. Full compliment. The 75 IBUs are there.

M: Velvety seduction?? The tongue gets taken care of with the hoping, the whiskey and chocolate take care of the back. Light on the carbonation, which is appropriate for the style.

D: Slow and steady. I don't recommend putting back more than one of these in a night, cause with that abv, you just wont appreciate it enough. The size of the bottle is great for its unique limited release but to consume at the proper temperature is harder to do because of it. That being said, it should be drank on the right occasion because it is Special. (1,290 characters)

I was fortunate to try this one at a tasting event hosted by Half Pints at Kawa Espresso Bar and I really enjoyed it. I was even more fortunate that Dave left behind a few bottles at Kawa and I was able to enjoy a full bottle of it!

A - Pours a dark brown, nice finger of mocha tan head with decent retention leaving appealing mocha islands and some fine tacky lacing which slipped down the glass over time.

S - Scent was rather unique with bitter chocolate malts and coffee grounds followed by a wooden rye whiskey scent and a bit of vanilla on the finish.

T - This is where this stuff shines! Chocolate off the top is delicious, it's complemented by a bit of a citrus flavour, bitter rye and espresso malts and a smokey finish that lingers on the tongue. The alcohol is detectable but is non-offensive, giving you a bit of heat to top off the flavours.

M - Mouthfeel is a tad thin and it would be a bit better if this offering were a bit thicker and chewy.

D - This stuff is tasty and I was very excited to have an opportunity to enjoy a full bottle of this. Although the ABV is noticeable, it is complimentary to the flavours and goes down smooth. Highly recommended offering from Half Pints and I would love to get my hands on more of this stuff! (1,255 characters)

This had been no.1 on my Canadian list for a long time, so a huge thanks goes out to kjost for the hookup on this one. Thanks again for the trade man! We put this one up against Driftwood's Singularity and McAuslan's BA imperial stout in The Great Canadian BA RIS Showown. Good times.

From a bomber into a snifter. Vintage: 201175 IBUS

Note: This is a re-review in a different context. The first review was scored a 4.18

APPEARANCE: A clear, dark brown pour yields a one finger, medium looking, tan head with excellent retention. Head fades slowly to a full wisp and ring. A muddy, dark brown body with lots of carbonation coming up through the middle of the glass. A swirly wisp and ring remain but leave no real lacing down the glass. Good head on this one, but average at best body.

SMELL: Lots of whisky, vanilla and oak on the nose. Much more barrel forward than I remember it. Milk chocolate as well as some caramel, coconut and some light oat aromas as well. Bold enough and plenty of candy and vanilla cream in this one. Interesting.

TASTE: Whisky, caramel sweetness, with milk chocolate and perfume notes up front. Some cherries and dark fruits through the middle, accompanied by oats and roasted flavors, then moves into a bold and lingering aftertaste of whisky perfume flavors, milk chocolate, sweet cream and oak on the palate. Quite flavorful and relatively whisy forward. Good stuff.

OVERALL: Really good for sure. The barrel is much more forward than I remember it being, with the whisky adding a perfume-like quality that I don't remember picking up originally. That said, the base beer is no pushover and plays a roll in the nose and taste as well. Lots of nice stuff going on here and the creamy feel helps make this surprisingly easy to drink. In the Canadian Showdown, this one was barely edged out by the McAuslan. Regardless, it really is a toss up here, and I'd love to drink this beer again sometime. Cheers again for this stuff kjyost! A real pleasure. (2,129 characters)

A - Pours black with a good one finger tan head. No visible carbonation. Completely opaque. Medium amount of film left for retention and no lacing.

S - Rich chocolate with a sugary element. A little coffee and some licorice. Inviting.

T - Roasted malt is strong with some coffee and huge chocolate. Some sugar is there. Nice. Good complexity as there's a good number of elements I can't pick up with malty layers and an obvious hop presence.

Thanks to oakbluff for making this happen - I know it was an adventure, but I appreciate it. Served in a Goose Island taster glass.

A - Giant light mocha foam that eventually settles to a thick chunky cap, leaving behind splotchy lacework. Black body reveals some transparency and reddish-brown coloration when held to the light.

S - Definitely one of the unique barrel-aged aromas I've encountered. Tons of Crown Royal, rye, cocoa, chocolate cake, vanilla, earthy barrel, and even some residual hop character. Based on the other reviews, I'm guessing some of the solvent and incongruous citrus hop character has faded over the past eight months.

M - Body is a bit light and carbonation is a touch high, although it's not a huge deal seeing as this is on the lower end of the Imperial Stout ABV spectrum. Otherwise it's pretty smooth, with minimal heat.

D - This was very good, and reaffirms my belief that Half Pints has the most "American" portfolio of any brewery in Canada. It's a shame this was so rare and tough to get - I'd have liked to had a chance to try it fresh and then again with some age. I also would have preferred to have had a bottle to myself. (1,380 characters)

I was fortunate to acquire this one from the brewery - they sold out in under two hours and I was about the sixth last person to get any. Drank on release date over numerous hours, although I will one day update this review as I will be cellaring a couple of these guys for a good while.

Poured into a Leffe chalice as it is the closest I have to a snifter / tulip. It poured a mocha brown head that was shorter than I had expected, but left light lacing all night long. The beer is not the inky black I was expecting (why, I don't know), rather it was a deeply opaque brown, which you could ascertain from the edges held up to light.

The aroma of this beer was just phenomenal. I initially got a chocolate and some aroma I couldn't figure out... After a while I figured out the obvious - it smells like Crown Royal, duh! There was also some sweetness in there, with a strong whiff of alcohol.

When I first sipped the beer I wasn't sure what to think. It initially tasted like I was drinking Crown or the rocks. The rye flavour was overpowering, with a strong burn in the mouth almost as though it were a spirit. As I sipped away over time though the full character of the brew came through. I served it around 10C, so I just think it needed to interact with the air to develop its body. It has a slight sweetness that couples well with the rye. The body became more balanced as I let it sit and was a very enjoyable way to enjoy a fantastic winter day in Winnipeg.

The beer coated the mouth nicely, although it seemed light on the carbonation which may though have given the thicker mouthfeel. The only reason I put the drinkability of this beer lower is due to the initial strength of the rye barrels, if you don't like rye I am not sure this beer is for you. (1,765 characters)